5 New Travel Startups to Make Summer Travel Superb

It’s summer time in many parts of the world and travelers are looking to get outdoors and on the water for some fun in the sun and travel startups want a part in the action.

— Dan Peltier

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This week’s travel startup watch looks at startups wanting to improve various aspects of summer-related travel from how vacations are booked to how they’re remembered. Summer is often the only time of year some families take any time off from work and the startups who can help make that time stress-free, fun and relaxing could become part of travelers’ trip plans next season too.

>>Keydockis network of partnering cafes where short term apartment rental hosts can drop off their keys for their guests. The guests can pick up the keys using a unique PIN.

SkiftTake: This works great for hosts who don’t live close by to the properties they own or manage and some guests aren’t looking for much interaction with their hosts. But for those hosts who want to meet their guests, or for guests who want to use their hosts for in-destination advice and trip-planning, they’d be better suited using another platform.

>>Boatlersis a peer-to-peer boat rental platform that connects boat owners to renters directly on its website and also works to verify profiles of renters and boat owners to ensure safety and security.

SkiftTake: Verifying identities, especially with pricey possessions such as boats, is never a bad idea and provides a safety net for both sides of the equation.

>>Sailois an online boat rental marketplace that connects people who want to rent boats to boat owners and licensed captains. Boat renters submit a request to book and receive a confirmation from an owner within 24 hours.

SkiftTake: Travelers want fast responses when planning trip activities so Sailo’s promise to hear from an owner within 24 hours is one allure to using the platform.

>>Tentrris an online discovery platform for the outdoors anchored by a network of privately-owned personal campsites. Users can either book a campsite or list their own space on the site and right now is focused mainly on the Upstate New York area.

SkiftTake: A platform like this probably won’t work in urban areas due to lack of available space, and serenity that makes the camping experience. So while Tentrr loses urban markets for hosts it makes up for that with travelers looking to escape metro areas for the great outdoors and a campfire.

>>Riffreelis a social video sharing platform where a video is called a riff (remember it forever film), a short film edited and produced by a team of producers. Videos are submitted from the raw footage provided by customers using a GoPro or HD camera and the final product is a two to three minute movie overlaid with carefully chosen tunes.

SkiftTake: Some travelers already do this on their own and for the less tech-capable traveler who might be on their bucket list trip this looks like an affordable option that creates a product they’ll have forever, provided they’re fine with diligently filming their trip.